Activation accelerators



Aug. 22, 1961 E. M. KLOPP ET AL ACTIVATION .ACCELERATORS Filed June 16, 1958 2 "28' M 7424 /6 24 /& 024 22 a 28 22 Anode Absorbent Paper She Mix Body Diffuser INVENTORS EDWARD M. KLOPP WILLIAM G. DARLAND,JR

%L ATTORNEY ACTIVATION.ACCELERATORS i v Edward M. Klopp, Medina, and William G. Darland,.Jr.,

Parma, Ohio, assignors to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation ofNewYoi-k.

Filed June 16, 1958, Ser. No. 742,338

" 9 Claims; (Cl; 136-80) "sa1t"hydrate'." 1 r A battery utilizing a preferred design of a unit cell ins 'lhis invention relates to compcnlncls. capable of ,ac-i

celerating electrolyte-producing reactions in g'asfactivated deferred action cells "and batteries the're'ofi- By activation is meant .a process.whereby..water. inthe combined state is released for electrolyte formation.

It has already been proposed to manufacture gas de polarized deferredv actioncells which can be activated through the reaction of the same depolarizing gas upon a dry hydrated salt, to produce water and an electrolyte. Undesirably, the activating reaction in question does not vated, gas depolarized deferred action cells and batteries:

thereof.

* An equally important o-bject of the invention is to provides cell unitsof novel designembodying the aforesaid means.

h d l f. 1; j. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a battery of cell units representingone form of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the cell units employed in the battery of FIG. 1.

In the practice of the invention there are provided along with dry, hydrated salt materials capable of reacting with a halogen gas togive water and an electrolyte, certain accelerators whichcan be mixed with such materials and remain stable therewith. These accelerators react rapidly with halogen gases to produce acid materials and \heat. Suitable accelerator materials include sulfur, antiman bismuth, arsenic, phosphorus, selenium, and telluriurn. -In the caseof phosphorus, the white allotrope being unstable in air, the red fo m is Preferred for convenience in handling. 7 I

. In making a cell using the accelerators of the invention,

a rnix is formed containing 60 to 89 weight percent ofahydrated salt such as ;S r(OI-I -8H O, Ba(OH)' -Y8H O,-

Li(QH)'HzQ or Zn 2-4H2 m to 10 weight p cent of one or more of the above listed accelerators, and the bfalance' of a ;linely dividedcarbon black. The thus formed dry mix is pressed into acakeby applying a pressure of; 100 to 500 pounds per square inch. This may conveniently be done on a porous graphite plate or other.

difiuser, or separately when a trace of suitable binder such as a water-soluble wax, e.g., polyethylene glycol, is-

placed on the diffuser with orwithout an interposed;

cedure is as follows.- The "carbon disulfide inthe ratio of 10 grams of sulfur to 20 to "30 grams of csgand then mixed with about 6 to 10 grams; of. carbon. .The .carbon-disullide is then allowed to evapo rate, and the resulting dry carbon powder, having finely dividedsulfur'on its surface,jis mixed with the chosen therein a series stack of cell units in accord with the invention, there being three cell units shown. The cell units comprise a cathode collector plate 10, :10 and 10 composed of carbon, the collector plate 10 of the first cell unit terminating outside of the container C in a. positive tap 12 of the, same material. plates 10, 10'. and :10" of each cell unit is a difliuser 14, 14" and 147, which. is fabricated from porous graphite. An extremely thin converter layer 16, 16' and 16" com. posed of carbon black bonded with methyl cellulose is sprayed on the diffuser of each cell unit. A separator 18,. 18 and 18", whiohconsists of a piece of absorbent micro-:- fine glass fiber paper about 0.003. inch thick surmounts. the converter layers. ,,,In contact with separators 18, .18 and 18" for each cell unit is a mix body 20, 20' and 20". which, as indicated previously, contains hydrated salts and. one or more accelerators. In contact with the mix body 20, 20' and 201 for each cell unit are three sheets of the same microfine glass fiber paper as employed for the sepa-r rator. The first sheet 22, 22 and 22 is of the same-dimension asthe mix body 20, 20' and 20", and is molded therewith to act as a mold release aid. Additional sheets 24, 24 and 24" and 26,26 and 26" are added to provide suflicient thickness toprevent intercell shortage. In contact with sheet 26, 26 and 26" of each cell unit is a zinc anode 28, 28' and 28,, the zinc anode 28" of the last cell unit in the stack similarly terminating outside of the container C in a negative tab 30. The above assembly may also be stacked in parallel with other similar cell units in a conventional'fashion. Inlet means 32 for introducing activating gas from a convenient source is also provided to the battery container C. A spring pressure of approximately 15 p.s,,i. serves ,to hold the assembly together and; accommodate the shrinkage upon activation. This is provided by means of a spring 34 holding the elements together. j r v FIG. 2 shows a modification of the unit cell design employed in the battery of FIG. 1, in which the converter and separator layers are omitted.

The present invention may be employed in conjunctionwith a variety of activating gases including chlorine, fluorine, ClF and ClF at roomtemperature, and bromine at slightly elevated temperature.

Some of the tests using sulfur as the accelerator with chlorine as the activating as well as the depolarizing gas. led to an activation time (75 percent of full voltage), under load, of approximately 0.5 second. When such a cell of 5 square inch area was activated on open circuit, and then placed on a 73 ma./in. drain, the voltage drop.

in the internal resistance of the'cell'was 0.04 to 0.08 volt,"

sulfur is first dissolved in Mounted on one side of Table! Recovery Open Circuit Activation Time Mix Composition Accelerator Voltage Under Load 90% of Service (Minutes) 90% Peak Load Open Oir- (Avg) Peak Load Voltage Load Voltage Volt. cult Voltago After Discharge SE 1 None 1.87 Did g f Zero 0.72 approve. SHO 1 er ember Black e nomad) atlQ mai/ a v 45secg ilgogruBga }4.8% Phosphorus (0.1 see. no load) 30min. at'l-73rme'./1n. 1.771 3 min. 71.2 wt. 1. p ;g;g:?a1)wHB1agk };IZ; ;:;:;h-;;l'1"s"" l e Q 1 ah mJi l-f r I 8.. ggggi3amlaok wgspmwm 80 0 at 13 a./1n.'. i 1.68 1 secg g i H 9.5% Sulfur 1.84, (0.2 see. no load) 31min,atJBma/imk 1.78 15 sec. w p %g,? H ado. 1.78 ;.)i"ter 0.5 sec 23 min. at 100 malin 1.80 10sec. v w 1 ggg gatrsiolHBack 9 1 p ge: nan-r mong, 7 9.- w." 11, 7 0 CarbonBlack- 9:'t- -"?::7--- 1 5'd 1. .1. x 21,

W1 site to... to smonn-sngo.

Last four tests involving sulfur-accelerator made with ,4 mix weight or previous-tests,

The; cells of the invention function as follows. Inpar-, 25 plate, an extremely'thinconverter layerj-of resin-bonded tioular, where sulfur is the accelerator, it hasbeen foundthat-.the accelerator is oxidized upon introduction of the activating gas, i.e., chlorine, to the: sulfate ion which reacts with the hydrated salt material to form an insoluble sulfate and releases waterof hydration.

issupported by a matrix. of carbon andsulfate.

If a fluoride hydrate is usedwith an acceleratopand chlorine, the resulting electrolyte is a-mixturepf HClland HF. in solution.

The reactions involved are the following:

The reaction of chlorine with SIjIO directly proceeds according to thefollowing reaction:

2Cl +2Sr(OH) 8H O Z SrCI 61-1 9 410 6H O Both these reactions produce an electrolyte which is a solution of an acid and is thus highly conductive. No inert gas is produced in either reaction. The sulfur reac-,

tion produces 36.4 percent water based on solid reactants, or 21.2 percent based on total reactants. The phosphorus reaction produces 36.5 percent water based on solid reactants, or 22.8 percent based on total reactants. 7

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a halogenactivated deferred action cell containing hydrated salts which produce water and an electrolyte upon reacting with said halogen, means foraccelerating said reaction, said rneansconsisting of atleast one element selected from the group consisting of sulfur, phosphorus, antimony, tellurium, selenium, arsenic, bismuth and mixtures thereof, said means being present in said cell in intimate mixture withsaid hydrated salts. '7 m 2. In a halogen-activated deferred action cell, aunit cell comprising a cathode collector plate composed of carbon and terminating in a positive tab, a porous graphite diffuser plate mounted on one side of said collector The water then dissolves the HCl resulting from the-oxidationof: the. sulfur. In this mannera highly acid electrolyteis; formed for the cell dischargereaction, which electrolyte carbon black on the side ofsaid diffuser-plateopposite; said collector plate, aseparatorconsisting of 'abso'rbenp microfine glass fiber paper OVEI S Eiid" converter, a-- mix body incontact with said separator, said; mix; body containing' from 60;to 89 weightpercent ofja hydrated salt which produces wa'ter andan electrolyte uponreaction wtih said halogen gas, from 2- to 10; weightpercent ofanelement selected fromthe group consistingofsulfur, phosphorus, antimony,- telluriunnfsclenium arsenic, bismuth and mixtures thereof;- balanc'e finely divided carbonblack, a plurality of sheets of absorbent micrpfine glass fiber paper, one of-;said sheets being-in-contaotwith said mix and molded therewith and-an abode in contact with another of said sheets.

3. A battery consisting of a stack ofsc'riec conn cells in accord with claim 2.

4. A battery consistingof a sta'ck of==parallel connected cells inaccord with claim2'. i

5. In ahalogen-activated;deferred action cell; a'unit cell comprising a collector plate composed -of-carbon and terminating in a positive tab, a porousgraphite 'difiuscr' plate over said collector plate, a-mi;t;b ody-0vcr said diffuser plate in contact therewith, said mix body containingfrom 60 to 89 weight percent-ofahydrated saltwhich releases water and an electrolyte-upon reacting witha;

halogen gas, from 2 to-10 weightpercent of -an 'element selected from the group consisting of-sulfur, pliggasplrorpsgj antimony, tellurium, selenium, arsenic, bismuthand mix tures thereof, balance finely divided-carbon black and a plurality of sheets of absorbent microfinefglassfiber-papici References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,393,739 Benner etal, Oct.18; 1921 2,572,296 Zimmerman et 'aL Oct. 23, .1951? 2,612,532 Heise et al. -,-..-.-..,..a Sept. 30; 1952; 2,615,931 Hatfield Oct. 28, 1952 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A HALOGEN-ACTIVATED DEFERRED ACTION CELL CONTAINING HYDRATED SALTS WHICH PRODUCE WATER AND AN ELECTROLYTE UPON REACTING WITH SAID HALOGEN, MEANS FOR ACCELERATING SAID REACTION, SAID MEANS CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFUR, PHOSPHORUS, ANTIMONY, TELLURIUM, SELENIUM, ARSENIC, BISMUTH AND MIXTURES THEREOF, SAID MEANS BEING PRESENT IN SAID CELL IN INTIMATE MIXTURE WITH SAID HYDRATED SALTS. 